A hotel website is normally the bridge between a traveler that needs a room and a sale for your hospitality business in the digital age.
NB: This is an article from Hotelogix
What does this mean for anyone who manages or owns a hotel?
This means that you need to leave a positive impression on hotel booking websites. There should be a clear message describing your brand and drawing in potential customers. It’s also vital that there’s a certain level of convenience and usability.
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Hotel website features need to be accommodating to consumers that use them. This article will highlight the top features to drive revenue from hotel websites.
The Importance of Your Website
A large majority of customers book hotels online. Even travelers who use OTAs often check out the best features of hotel websites.
The look and layout of a hotel website speak volumes for your brand. Additionally, it can make or break whether a customer ends up booking.
In the digital age, a website is no longer just a page. A website is an experience made up of numerous elements and benefits for anyone navigating this experience.
Use the following website features list to ensure you have the most effective elements in place on your hotel website.
Best Features of Hotel Websites
What makes good hotel websites? The following list explains what you should incorporate to have a top hotel website.
1. The Visual Element
When you’re in the hospitality business, you’re not just selling rooms. You’re offering a lifestyle and hospitality experience. The visual elements of your website can accurately convey this fact.
Guests can’t physically tour your hotel to sample the rooms. No, you’ll need to offer this benefit through your website. This means including a comprehensive virtual experience. Including high-quality photos of every beautiful element of your rooms can increase booking chances exponentially.
Do you have breathtaking patterns? Highlight them on your website. Any elements that you feel stand out compared to the overall layout should be framed on the website.
2. The Experience
In today’s world, most people thrive from experiences. This means adding elements of the local area to your hotel website. Adding a dash of personality and local favorites don’t hurt your website’s chances a bit.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by adding an informational blog to your website. Include local favorites like restaurants, bars, museums, and other highlights of the area. Additionally, this allows you to leverage the power of SEO to bring new customers to your website.
3. Easy Contact and Booking
Why even have a website if you can’t use it to convert visitors into buyers? Offer travelers the ability to make online bookings simple. A one-click option that sends visitors directly to a booking page is a great way to make things easy.
You can even create a sticky icon that’s available anywhere a visitor navigates or scrolls on the site. This way, once they decide, they can quickly hit the button. This decreases the odds of losing a sale if they end up changing their minds or talking themselves out of it. When you’re talking about online sales, fractions of seconds are critical.
Using a chatbot can be another way to engage visitors to your website. A large majority of online bookings are completed using human interaction. Customers that interact with a chatbot can be a great way to maximize your revenue.
Your contact details should clearly be visible so that clients can call with any questions or concerns. This might sound ancient, but most seniors prefer calling to book hotel visits. You don’t want to miss out on this demographic.
4. Pins and Directions
Is your hotel in a location that’s considered prime real estate? Use Maps to highlight your location.
An interactive map location can help travelers locate your hotel easily. Google Maps widgets give an overview of your hotel’s location and are also handy for providing driving directions. Guests can also explore exciting local highlights or transportation options.
5. Device Compatibility
The Internet is no longer only accessible on desktops. This means that your website should be compatible with all device options. One of the most crucial elements is ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly. A large majority of travelers book their entire vacation on their mobile devices.
However, this doesn’t mean you should leave out desktops and laptops. You should also have a design that looks great on larger screens. This can also allow you to provide more widgets or other add-ons.
Your website should also load within three seconds to make sure your visitors don’t leave. It’s frustrating when it takes a page forever to load. If your website lags, your sales will reflect this.
6. Event Calendars
Do you ever hold any special events or activities based on holidays, seasons, or other times of the year? Do you feel like your guests should know about these events or activities? Highlight these events by adding a calendar to your website.
Additionally, you can share details about local events that may provide guests with other exciting options during their stay. Local climate data and weather conditions can make their trip more enjoyable as well.
7. Amenities
You must have a dedicated page for the amenities on your property. If you have elements like a meeting hall, wedding banquet, swimming pool, or fitness room, you need to add photos of these and relevant information to your website.
Amenities are often a deciding factor for guests during the booking process. Don’t miss the opportunity to let the best portions of your hotel shine.
By emphasizing these elements, you can maximize revenue by using your website. The best part about this is most of these changes are either free or are produced for a minimal cost.
